J Furze

About Me

Hello I am Julie Furze and my company name is Happy Chicks Childcare.

I am an Ofsted Registered Childminder in Plymstock with many years experience. Established in 2005.

I was certified Outstanding in my past 3 inspections. We follow the EYFS curriculum and able to care for your children from birth right through to school reception and beyond. Please enquire if you need assistance with wrap around care.

I have been married to my partner Brett for the past 27 years. We have two lovely daughters together, 25 and 21 years of age.

Having gained much experience in looking after children and their individual needs. I am confident and keen in offering a service that is enabling, inclusive and welcoming. I have good experience of working with children with very specific medical needs.

My husband Brett is employed full time in the customer care maintenance department of a large organisation. Brett is also registered and approved with Ofsted as my Childminding Assistant for situations such as emergency cover. He is first aid trained and holds an enhanced DBS certificate.

Both my daughters Karla and Lauren are Paediatric First Aid trained and have Safeguarding training. Karla is registered as my Assistant, and has worked part time alongside me at various times over several years, to fit around her working hours as HCA in a local residential home.
Lauren works for St Luke’s Hospice.

Both of my daughters have a lot of experience as they have grown up with the children and helped whenever they are able.

We hold up to date paediatric first aid certificates, enhanced DBS certificates and public liability insurance.

I have twice successfully administered life saving CPR for victims of Cardiac Arrest and Heart Attack, where full recoveries were made.

I offer flexible wrap around care, which includes full and part time places, weekends, evenings, overnight care and school holidays. I may be able to collect and drop home children in some cases where parents have no transport. I have a 8 seater people carrier which enables me to do this and take the children on lovely outings.

My vehicle is insured for business class and equipped with correct car seats for all children following correct regulations.

We offer a professional and welcoming service and believe that children learn and thrive best when they feel happy, safe and secure. You can expect a home from home environment where children are treated very much as part of the family and flourish whilst forming firm friendship bonds. The children all feel valued, cared for and listened to. I model and promote good manners, sharing, and being kind. I am able to provide a nutritious home cooked meal if required.

I have an allocated colourful and stimulating playroom with a vast range of age appropriate toys and games, role play, messy play, crafts, sensory toys, treasure basket, holistic and heuristic play, dressing up, cooking, outings to various local attractions, playgroups, libraries and parks, books, puzzles, song time, weekly fun with phonics sessions and story time to name but a few activities.

I have a large fully enclosed secure garden which has a variety of activities. We have playhouses, ride on toys, balance beams, tyre obstacle, swings, slide, tuff trays, sandpit, planting trough, water play, climbing apparatus. We also have a entrance into our 'bigger garden' the woods adjoined to our house. We make lots of use of this such as Teddy bears picnic, looking for the gruffalo, going on a bear hunt, nature trails, filling our bird feeders and checking the nesting boxes brett has made and put out. The children also love to take the family dogs for a walk and learn about pet care, collecting eggs from our chickens, and keeping healthy and looking after animals unfamiliar to them. We also learn road safety and keeping safe.

I like to work closely with parents and believe full communication is the best way forward to ensure we work in partnership, which in turn helps to ensure your child has every opportunity to reach their full potential and has so much fun at the same time. I am very happy to listen to any concerns or questions you may have and will go out of my way to offer help and support if this is what is needed.

I offer a run down of your child’s day, and provide you with as much information as possible. I pay for a very comprehensive computerised system called Babysdays. This gives you information on your child’s development and includes updates, accident reporting, invoices and comprehensive list of permissions and policies to name but a few.

I work closely with two other highly recommended childminders which helps to socialise the children with a larger group of children. This also provides an invaluable service to families, such as providing holiday cover should you require it and if it is available. The children become familiar with other professionals and make firm friendships within a wider group. Also having an assistant within my own family unit provides peace of mind should an emergency situation arise.

I would love the opportunity to discuss any needs you may have.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my profile.